MicroEye : Modular, 3D-printed, Low-Cost, and Vision-based Tool Wear Monitoring System for Micro-Milling

Tool wear in micro-milling can be monitored by using a camera with computer vision techniques. In such a direct method of wear measurement, the camera periodically captures the tool surface images to get the latest signatures of the wear progression. Tool detachment is often needed since the camera and the supporting devices can not be placed in the limited space near the tool overhang position. Tool detachment is unpractical for the actual machining environment and also contributes to measurement inaccuracy. A visual direct monitoring system that can be flexibly placed and moved to a particular position is needed. This article presents MicroEye, a tool wear monitoring system based on direct visual measurement for micro-milling machining. MicroEye is designed to be low-cost and open-source with prominent features such as an active 6-DOF (degree of freedom) robotics arm, 3D-printed components, modular, and vision-based wear monitoring. MicroEye can be built at a low cost (US$ 872, including the camera). MicroEye is targeted mainly for tool wear monitoring of miniaturized micro-milling machines. The presentation in this article emphasizes the building steps and experiment of the MicroEye system.